


Chaotic Elegance

by Alternatewarning



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Didn't have time to edit this one so we'll see how it goes, There are some hints of Gladio/Prompto but not enough to actually tag it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:54:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26868478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alternatewarning/pseuds/Alternatewarning
Summary: In an effort to protect Noctis during a heated battle, Prompto is badly injured.  Out of medical supplies and potions, the group races against a ticking clock to get him back to town.Whumptober 2020 entry: Numbers 7 and 10 - Carrying and Blood Loos / Trail of Blood
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	Chaotic Elegance

Most of the time the four of them fought in some chaotic sense of a formation. Gladio would run in front, his sword easily taking down anything small or unprepared for the human behemoth. Noctis would warp over to whatever enemy looked like it was the most likely to become a hassle and daggers would come flying after him, Ignis close behind. With significantly less training than the other three, Prompto would follow behind, throwing off shots at any and every enemy that got close enough to aim at. It wasn’t that structured in any way shape or form, but worked. Rarely were they in each other’s way for more than a second, often turning a run-in to a two-pronged attack. But sometimes things didn’t go as planned, even with such a thin hint of a plan to begin with.

It started when their toe-to-toe battle with an entire platoon of Magitek infantry was interrupted by a pack of elder coeurls who were much more intent on Noctis and his retainers than any of the ax-wielding magitek. There were so many enemies to avoid that the entire battle was starting to become a hazy cluster, thunder streaking down from the sky as the cats seemed particularly interested in turning Noctis into their dinner.

“Noct, look out!” Gladio’s warning wasn’t fast enough. One of the larger black and white monsters was charing at the prince with it’s fanged mouth open wide. Noctis’s back was to the creature as he was sidestepping the heavy swing of a trooper, twisting in the direction of the cat. In a move so quick that he almost seemed to warp, Prompto was in front of the cat, gun aimed to fire. While he managed to move fast enough his bullet didn’t down the monster, only wound it, and it didn’t present the attack.

The elder coeurl snapped its jaw, the predator catching all of Prompto’s shoulder in one bite. It leaped back, mouth still clamped around the gunman, dragging him with her. He stumbled to the ground, his right arm trapped in her maws. Two more of her pack suddenly appeared, drawn in by their trapped prey. Before any of the others could get to him, the monsters were already on top of him, claws and fangs tearing into skin. The blond managed to get off a few shots, trying to at least maim the one holding him but everything was a blur of lightning, fur, and pain.

Prompto’s body quickly vanished under their assault, the giant creatures accidentally hiding the fact that he had been downed by their large size. Eventually his grunts and ‘get off!’s warped into screams as they continued their attack. It was enough to draw the attention of the others and the pack quickly scattered once one of them was killed by a combination of a lance thrown into its side and a greatsword rending it in two. As the other two dodged away to be chased down by Noctis and Gladio, Ignis rushed to Prompto’s side.

The boy’s shoulder had been gouged by the coeurl’s fangs, clear teeth marks pierced into his clothing. His chest looked like it had been nearly ripped open, claw marks tearing flesh and spattering the ground with blood that now tracked bloody paw prints away from the scene. There were other, smaller wounds, like a few cuts to his face and more bite marks in his leg, but Ignis was much more worried about his chest. He reached into the armiger only to find their healing items empty. No potions, nothing at all. He was out of healing magic himself, as well.

“You two need to wrap this up, and fast. We are out of curatives and Prompto needs healing immediately.” There was no time to focus on if they heard him or not. Since his shirt had already been torn to shreds Ignis ripped it off, deftly tearing the fabric into strips. He needed to focus on wrapping as many of the wounds as he could. There was already a pool of blood below the blond and he was strangely quiet. Still awake, at some point he had reached out and grabbed Ignis’s with a pale, white-knucked grip, but he seemed to be focusing so hard on breathing he didn’t have the spare thought to scream.

“Hold still, Prompto, this will hurt but it needs to be done.” Ignis started to wrap what he could, praying to the Six that it was enough. There were still sounds of battle all around him but he needed to focus on this and only this. The shoulder wound was deep but not lethal, his leg was much more shallow so for now it would have to go ignored. He started to wrap the chest, his gloves already slick with blood.

“Iggy…”

“Shh, you will be alright. Just hold on a little longer. We will head back to town once Noct and Gladio are done.” He wanted to look Prompto in the eyes and promise him he would make it but he wasn’t in the habit of lying to the dying. 

By the time he was out of shredded shirt to use as wrapping it was obvious the Prompto was starting to fade. There was a loud crack of fire erupting not too far away from Ignis’s back which was hopefully the last of the fighting.

“Iggy…I don’t feel so good.” Just as the advisor was starting to lift him from the ground Gladio landed hard on his knees next to them. Wordlessly he lifted the shivering boy into his arms, cradling the blond to his chest like a precious treasure. He looked even paler than normal, his skin bleached against Gladio’s chest.

“Noctis, we are leaving now.” The prince warped next to them after slicing the head off the last of the troopers. His blue eyes went wide once he realized that the blood all over Prompto, and now Ignis as well, was his.

“Prom! S---. We have to hurry!” He turned and ran, nearly tripping over himself as he started towards the nearest down. Gladio followed behind him, one arm wrapped around Prompto’s back and the other under his knees. The gunman was mumbling and shivering, fading in and out as they ran. Ignis followed up the rear, trying to swallow the bile in his throat once he realized that even if he couldn’t see the other two, he could have easily followed the trail of blood. Something was still bleeding badly enough that it was dripping down Gladio’s leg and leaving half formed bloody shoe prints in the dirt.

At first it seemed odd that Nocits ran ahead instead of trying to stay neck in neck with his Shield to guard his friend. But it was obvious soon enough. Ahead of the pack, his utter panic was enough to help him carve through any monsters that even appeared in his line of sight. This left Gladio free reign to just run. It was a single-minded focus that pushed all of them harder than their lungs could take.

Gladio hated how cold Prompto felt against him. And how still. Normally he was always moving, looking around, talking, fidgeting, on his phone, something. He was never still for more than a millisecond, to the point that the Shield was a little shocked he could take a steady picture. But now he was still as death. At some point he’d wrapped a hand into Gladio’s shirt but even that felt weak, as if a gust of wind would pull him away.

“Hey blondie, hang in there. We’re almost to safety.” 

“Gotta hang on…’s a rough ride, big guy.” There were lights in the distance, the familiar artificial shine of an outpost. It wouldn’t have the best medical facilities but there would be something. Just as they were getting close there was a familiar, pained groan as the ground suddenly opened up into a flickering pool of darkness. A gigantic iron hand slowly reached out, grabbing the ground like a ledge. An Iron Gaint. And not just one of them.

“Gadio, keep going. We will take care of things here.” Before the two daemons had even finished pulling themselves from the abyss, a series of daggers were launched towards them as Ignis yelled the orders over their cries.

“But Iggy-”

“Go! Noct and I can handle this.” The prince was already no more than a streak of blue was he threw his sword and warped into one of the daemon’s hands, causing it to try and swat him away like an annoying fly. With a deep grumble Gladio continued to run, shifting the limp body in his arms ever so slightly. At some point during that short exchange Prompto had closed his eyes and now he was worse than just still, he was completely limp. The lights came close and closer until finally he was within their aura of safety. The outpost had a small hotel with a half-sleep man at reception. But he suddenly jerked awake with the sound of a behemoth coming through, throwing open a door for Gladio to rush in. The man was gone in an instant, yelling over his shoulder that he was going to grab potions and whatever else he could.

With a gentleness to rival his rising panic, Gladio slowly lowered the younger man onto one of the beds. His head lolled to the side, limbs landing where he was placed. The wraps that had been his shirt had already soaked through, everything now a messy, dirty shade of red. Against the light grey of the bedspread Prompto looked like a porcelain doll, his skin too pale to have ever been alive, his freckles standing out like black specks across his face. He wasn’t breathing. The innkeeper returned with a handful of vials and the Shield quickly grabbed the first, shattering it over the shredded remains of his chest. He watched, listening for a gasp, a breath. But nothing. No change. He was still limp and pale, lifeless.

“Prompto...come on.” He reached out for another and again broke the bottle over the worst of the wounds. And again nothing changed. Gladio’s stomach leaped into his throat, closing off his air. They hadn’t gotten here fast enough. He hadn’t gotten here fast enough. Slowly he took one of the other’s small hands in his own. There was no pulse against his wrist, nothing. Just a bloody shell all devoid of its sunshine.


End file.
